


Silent Hearts

by koboli



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Attempts at being creepy, Author Definitely Rushed, Gen, Original Monster Design, Silent Hill - Freeform, Toons Flirting, Trinity Trio
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 18:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18834070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koboli/pseuds/koboli
Summary: This is an attempt at being comedic, and scary at the same time - a story where Sora, Donald, and Goofy end up in a form of Silent Hill. Unable to use magic, our heroes have to find alternative means to survive. Donald gets to wield a sledgehammer.What are they surviving exactly? That's up to them.





	Silent Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted this to be one of those cool really long one shots, but I gotta split it up because I keep getting more and more ideas and - honestly, I need to focus on the fact that I just want the trinity trio to hang out together. 
> 
> and also i really like silent hill so why not make a silly crossover??

_This ship runs on happy faces._

_This ship…_

 

* * *

 

 

Goofy has to resort to physically pulling the corners of Donald’s beak into a smile. The magician appreciates this because he’s too busy being furious at Sora. Who, is just as irked back at him - but is doing a fantastic job holding his smile in place. Having just destroyed one of the wings of their Gummi Ship, and their Communication Systems, the only thing keeping them from spiraling out of control is their grins. Getting in each other's space enough that foreheads are mashed together, Goofy hyuks and pulls Donald back into his chair. “I think we should discuss this a bit later."

 

Sora lets Donald fume, he even finds himself smiling a bit more genuinely at how easily the duck gets bent out of shape. Crashes don’t happen as often as they did when Donald was first teaching him to fly, but they’re not completely foreign to them. Sure, Sora can’t steer at all, and one sad face will send them careening into total destruction. It’s small beans compared to what these heroes have been through before.

 

Donald’s quacking to himself gets louder, and Sora waves a hand to his side dismissively. Donald will see it, even if he’s not turning to address his friend. "We’re going to be totally fine."

 

The turbulence they go through, much less the threat of heartless crafts, is more tangible to the magician than some words from an optimistic teenager. "Maybe ten minutes ago!” Donald spurts.

 

“Now now, fellers,” Goofy says sagely, taking his hands out of Donald’s beak to hold a finger in the air. “It was more like five.”

 

There’s a pause, Donald’s expression, freed from its shackles deepens into a completely unchecked scowl.

 

Sora winces, then sighs. “Aww, c'mon, g–”

 

Two out of three aren’t smiling. The ship falters, then jerks into a full nearly comedic dive. The darkness of space looming without the context of being in control. Sora and Donald smile, realizing their mistakes, accidents on both parts, but to no avail. Goofy yodels as if pushed from a cliff. His wisdom getting the better of him, he shouldn’t have let go of his feathered friend. In their dive, the other wing is taken out, and they plummet further and further into deep space.

 

Summoning the keyblade, Sora points below them, using his power to reveal a shrouded world. It’s barely visible in the dark of this length of space. The brace themselves, before they collide with an atmosphere. Bits of the Gummi Ship burn off upon entry. Until all that’s left is the Piloting Cabin, surrounded by literal fire and hurtling toward what looks like a forest.

 

Goofy summons his shield to hold over his head. Abruptly, Donald and Sora cast Reflega together. The hexagonal shield protecting the cockpit from being flattened against the awaiting trees below.

 

The impact is harsh. Getting smashed between a chair and a seatbelt may have saved their lives, but it’s jarring and painful. Sora, Donald, and Goofy blackout.

 

* * *

 

It’s humid, but Sora can’t taste it. Can only feel it. Can only compare to his home, where the spray of the sea was a pure relief. On the Islands the humidity was a gentle embrace. This is different, it’s cloying. As if wrapped around his limbs and holding him there. Sora is stubborn, he won’t stay still. He moves, pushes through the brush. Large shoes stepping on twigs. His footsteps are the only ones he hears, but he knows his friends are with him. Right behind him.

 

Sora looks to his left and sees a building. The click of his shoes on cement echoes around him as he walks through the garage. It’s completely empty, but the teen summons his keyblade. He expects Heartless. He’s walking, but no longer hears his footsteps. Only deep, rhythmic breathing. The push and pull of the air around him with each breath has Sora’s hairs standing on end. He can’t speak. His keyblade his gone, it’s completely dark and Sora can’t see.

 

He closes his eyes tight, that’s the moment he sees the figure at the end of the garage. At first, Sora thinks it’s wearing a hood, but the fabric shifts, like shedding skin. It looks towards Sora, grinning. Sora wants to stumble backward, but his shoes are welded in place. The being in front of him’s ribcage is completely exposed. It has no lungs, no stomach, but a heart beats. Protected by the ribcage, the only organ in this creature thumps. Thumps. _Thumps._

 

* * *

 

 

 _Thump_ – Donald whacks the Keyblades chosen one on the head with his fist. “Wake up! Wake up!” Donald is about to swing again.

 

“Look, Donald, he’s coagulant!”

 

“Cognizant.” Donald corrects flatly.

 

Which gets a giggle out of Goofy, “That’s what I said.”

 

“I wish we could'a let him sleep longer,” Jiminy says from the Captain’s shoulder. “But I don’t like the look of this World very much.” The cricket thumps Goofy’s shoulder with his umbrella to emphases his worry.

 

Sora groans, so his friends focus back on him. He’s still strapped in his Pilot’s Seat, and the whisps of the dream are out of reach to him. He instead focuses on rubbing his head. “Thanks for the bruise, Donald!” He says sarcastically. “I kept us in one piece didn’t I?"

 

Feathers immediately ruffle, it's obvious that the duck magician is holding something in, he grits his teeth and hisses - instead of shouting, "But we'd still be in space if you had not been daydreaming!!"

 

Sora's shoulders hitch up, and he looks away - but Donald's breath hitches and tension flows out of him. Replaced by embarrassment. "I couldn't help hitting you... I would have cast Watera, but I can't use magic."

 

"Woah..."

 

Goofy nods to affirm this fact. “I can’t even summon my shield!” He motions to how his hands are completely empty. “What about you, Sora?”

 

“Oh!” Quickly, pealing himself out of his seatbelt and stretching away as much stiff and soreness he can. The keyblade wielder holds out a hand.

 

Nothing appears.

 

He thrusts his arm out again. “C'mon!” Still no key.

 

Donald sighs, and crosses his arms to think. They have no communication, no weapons, no powers, and are in a strange world that was revealed in the deepest reaches of space they’d ever been to. It’s an easy situation to get lost in negativity, so Donald centers himself. Asks himself what King Mickey would do. He would stay positive, he would voice reason. For a moment, he wishes he were half as responsible as his monarch was. The magician glances over at Sora and Goofy still attempting to summon weapons. These knuckleheads need him.

 

The duck approaches his friends, sighs as though the weight of the world is sitting upon his shoulders,

– then he gets socked firmly in the eye. “WAK!"

 

Sora squeaks because he’s not expecting a living being to suddenly appear within arms reach. Much less something so squishy. "I totally just punched your eye!” The teen gasps before gulping.

 

Donald’s hunched over clutching his eye for a moment, but straightens his back and fixes Sora with an almighty glare. Only made more powerful by the squinting, swelling left eye not succeeding in holding back tears. He inhales deeply through his nostrils. Responsibility echoing through his mind.

 

“Responsibility. Responsibility. Responsibility- Ahyuk.” Goofy whispers into Donald’s earhole.

 

The simmering at the end of Donald’s feathers was becoming noticeable, and wanting to clear the air, Sora laughs, then points at his forehead. “Consider it payback.” He says teasingly.

 

The duck finally exhales. “Okay. We’re even.” He snaps his fingers, and when no curing takes place he remembers the no-magic thing. “Give me a potion at least.” He demands. Sora laughs and digs through their stockpile, pulls out a potion and throws it to the duck, who - without the help of depth perception - fumbles with the jar for a moment. Donald hisses at his friend.

 

“We should probably get a few more, what with'us bein’ lost with no powers, and nothing but this here radio I found.” Goofy says airily.

 

“A radio!” Donald shouts, surprised. “We can call for help! S.O.S.!”

 

“Gwarsh,” Goofy says, inspecting the radio closer. Finding the comms button, and even tuning it for a second, he starts tapping ‘Somebody please help us’ in morse, but as that is an incredibly long message, Sora grabs the radio out of his friend’s hands before he gets to finish. He had seen Donald creeping up, with the same intentions.

 

“Thank you.” Says Sora politely.

 

“Ahyuk!” Answers Goofy with a grin, not caring that it was snatched in the least.

 

He tries to tune into a half-remembered frequency of his and Riku’s - “Hey, Riku? This is Sora, do you read?” - but after getting nothing in return, Sora smacks the radio a few times. Surely, a bit of jostling will do the trick. Donald and Goofy lean closer, Goofy’s ear perked to hear better. After more moments of nothing, Donald snags the radio for his turn.

 

He tries the King’s frequency but doesn’t get a chance to speak before sound bursts from the radio. Goofy and Sora leap in excitement - Donald’s had flies vertically in the air comedically. “– The Pacific Northwest’s greatest Automobile savings, as fourth generation owners, you know you love cars as much as you need them.” A jingle rings out and Donald looks at the radio like it’s betrayed him.

 

“Ohh, darn it.” Goofy points out. “It must not be for talkin’ into.”

 

“Shoot, so it’s not gonna help us?” Sora says, sounding just as betrayed as Donald looks. Some pop music plays from the radio, and Sora holds out his hand to the Magician. Who sighs and hands the radio over. “I kind of like this music, at least.” He dances a bit, to get a laugh out of his friends, and it works.

 

Another commercial begins to play, and Sora flips through some channels this device is picking up from this World. Some people sound extremely upset about the state of the World, but not in a way the Heroes of Light can help with. “Soooo.. No Heartless?” He asks, looking at his friends who shrug. They didn’t hear anybody complaining about people losing their hearts in a very literal fashion, which is a typically newsworthy occurrence.

 

“No Organization?” Goofy asks in return.

 

There’s a hiss as the dome of the piloting cube opens and the three hop out of the Gummi and take in their surroundings. “We should look around and see,” Donald rasps, eye fully healed, feeling brave for the moment. Ready to get this show on the road.

 

Sora’s first to hop down, immediately gravitating to the dense forest they’ve found themselves crashed in. He grabs a fallen branch, swings it into a tree a few times, and grins like the exuberant teenager he is. “Arm yourselves, fellas!” He states the excitement of adventure finally possessing him. “Let’s check out the Pacific Northwest!”

 

* * *

 

Trees. There are a lot of trees. Forestry so dense, it feels as though no person had tracked through it before. Spider-Webs and other harmless things blocked their path. No Adversaries of the Darkness, though. The singing of birds keeps Donald feeling sane, but he’s on the short end of the stick when it comes to actually encounter the webbing - slapping of branches - with an added treat of pinecones falling and landing right on his head.

 

They’ve yet to meet any citizens yet, merely voices through the radio, which would occasionally short in and out - stressed with interference. He has no idea what to expect. Without the safety-net of Magic, Donald can’t help the ruffling of his feathers from stress. Eyes darting left and right - head twitching at every crack of twig, crackle in the radio.

 

“Aw, relax, Donald,” Says Goofy, scaring the wits out of his friend. The knight wraps an arm around his shoulder to steady him, then holds up his other arm, holding a make-shift shield crafted from bark. “I’m gonna look out for ya’.”

 

“Be quiet!” Donald demands, flustered.

 

“'Sides, we’ve been in scrappier situations than this and came out fine.” Goofy continues around a giggle, squeezing Donald’s shoulder, then he lifts him out of the underbrush into a piggyback. “We just gotta find some people and ask to borrow their interstellar communicationator.”

 

Donald’s squawking at being manhandled has Sora laughing and leaning on his make-shift sword.

 

Sora tunes out Donald’s complaining about world order, intent on focusing back on the latest new song. No sound comes from the Radio, which is a bummer, Sora sighs and waves some of the fog out of his face. It’s started setting in really fast. In fact, just moments ago he had been able to see completely clearly.

 

“Uhhhh.”

 

It’s not just visual, it feels. Sora’s adventured through fog banks before, but this is so cloying. Breathing feels heavy, it tastes sticky. He hears Donald complaining about that exact thing. “Let’s keep moving,” Sora says around a gulp. “There’s got to be a building around here.” He takes off into a sprint. He hears Goofy take off after him and a startled quack from the duck upon his shoulders.

 

–

 

They break out of the forest. Three heroes clutching their wooden weapons securely as they run into an abruptly urban area. A wide street, soaked with past rainfall. Layers of fog keep them from seeing beyond a couple of buildings. They looked worse for wear, but not entirely abandoned. It was day, but the sun was setting - not enough light shining through the fog to be more than a dim orb. Jiminy shivers, even in the security of Sora’s hood.

 

“Oh boy! Civilization!” Donald annunciates.

 

Their footsteps slap against the wet cement. Sora pauses outside a single story building, it looks like some sort of self-service shop. There is no people inside, just as there is no life on the streets. For all their radio’s talk of cars, there’s not a single rumble echoing through the streets. “This doesn’t look all that welcoming.” He says, scratching the back of his neck.

 

“Y-Yeah. I agree!” Goofy states, chewing on the tips of his gloves, a slight shiver in his spine. “I feel like Jack’s waitin’ for us around the corner.” Donald pats the side of Goofy’s head a few times to soothe him before jumping off his shoulders.

 

“But, we know Jack’s a good guy, right?” Sora says with a smile.

 

Donald nods. “Yeah, but look at us, I can’t use magic to blend in - I.. this environment doesn’t give me any clue!” He’s made a strong point, and the grey streets are getting darker. Jack Skellington wouldn’t hurt them, but the point isn’t that he’d appear, but moreso the atmosphere is leaning in an uncomfortably creepy direction. A light flickers on in the market, the flashing LED sign coming to life despite the lack of people.

 

“Let’s just, get out of here,” Sora says, letting fate be his guide. “To where there’s light."

 

Donald and Goofy look at each other, and nod. "Lead the way, Sora.” Goofy states. He lets Donald run in front of him, more than happy to be the third one hit by any scares. He catches something move, though, before he enters the automatic door, someone running around the corner. He’s suddenly inside, and the doors shut. They don’t open despite him waving his arms - he looks through the windowed doors and doesn’t see anybody outside.

 

The royal knight hums, curiously. Sora’s carried on obliviously ahead, but Donald’s turned to look at him. “What’s the hold-up?” He asks.

 

“I thought I..” He scratches his chin. “Gwarsh, Don, I thought I saw somebody, but he’s gone now.”

 

“A person?” The duck asks as he approaches. Goofy nods slowly, he’s visibly less enthused about encountering the entity than Donald is. The Magician tries to manually open the doors, but they don’t budge. From this point, at least, they’ve been locked in. “Aw phooey.” Donald spits unhappily.

 

Carrying on ahead, through aisles of chips, plastic wrapped donuts, Sora’s lost in his head, questioning why he still feels such a strong connection to his power, and the keyblade, but cannot access it in this World. It’s a lived-in World, yet so desolate and grim. Duller than Port Royal’s portrayal of the Carribean, which is saying a lot. Even without threats, how abilities feeling so barely out of reach is weighing on Sora.

 

He holds his hand over his heart, it thumps, rhythmically - goosebumps prickle up his neck. He removes his hand from his chest with a gasp. Such a foreign sensation from a familiar action. It beats in his ears, he can’t escape it, Sora starts to visualize something–

 

“Sora?” Donald rasps looking up at the teen with worry. He had frozen long enough for his friends to catch up with him. Donald doesn’t like the look in his eyes. Far away, as though fixated on hanging darkness. But they blink, and look to Donald, and then Goofy.

 

“Woah,” Sora says, trying to laugh it off. “That was weird. I’m all good, though.” He thunks his chest and smiles. “See?”

 

“We should see if we can buy somethin’ to drink,” Goofy says, unconvinced.

 

“From who?” Donald says, climbing up a shelve to look at the unattended counter. “This place has terrible customer service!”

 

“We’ll just leave the munny on the counter.” The youngest member of the trio says with a shrug. Goofy’s wandered towards the refrigerated section to pick out a few bottles of water, so Sora jogs to catch up. He picks a can up and inspects it, then holds it towards the knight. “Do you think 'Redbull’ has healing properties, Goofy?"

 

Goofy squints and leans to get a closer look at the can. "With Taurine.” He reads out slowly.

 

Sora seems impressed at the name. “That sounds like it could be an ingredient in an Ether, right?”

 

“It sorta does!” Goofy agrees; though he has his doubts. “Don’t seem like they’d need Ether 'round here, though.” He can’t help but point out.

 

“Well, in Potions, then.” Sora amends easily.

  
A loud screech rings through the air, and the fighters both jump in alarm.

 

Donald comes back dragging a sledgehammer. Goofy and Sora exhale slowly while staring at him. The duck looks at his new weapon, then back at them and shrugs. “What?” He asks.

 

“Where did you get that?” Sora asks.

 

Donald rolls his eyes. “I was behind the counter, looking for the manager and it was lying there.”

 

“Did ya’ find the manager?”

 

“No, Goofy, I found a sledgehammer.” Donald points out.

 

“You know, there haven’t been any threats yet.” Sora tries to point out amused, to which Donald scoffs.

 

“I am not taking any chances! Put down that illicit energy drink because you shouldn’t be taking any either!” He warbles incomprehensibly for a moment, then catches his breath. Sora does put the 'Redbull’ back at least, but he’s laughing.

 

With some water and a couple of curiously enticing snacks, Donald leaves some munny on the counter and they approach the automatic door.

 

“Uhhh, wasn’t this locked?” Goofy asks.

 

“Oof.” Donald heaves the sledgehammer onto his shoulder. “That’s what this baby is for.” He says through strain from holding such a heavy object.

 

As he winds up, Sora lets out an impressed “Woah.” Donald’s about to let loose, but Jiminy shouts. “Holy criminy, Donald, stop!!!"

 

Donald pauses with a small, 'wak’, shaken out of the haze of wanting to cause destruction with a really big hammer. He looks at Jiminy, annoyed. "What’s the big idea?!” He shouts back.

 

The cricket crosses his arms, and hops onto Donald’s bill. The duck has to cross his eyes to see him. Jiminy looks unimpressed in every way. “Vandalism?” He asks, flabbergasted. “This is a business, and I don’t care that we haven’t seen any folks, we shouldn’t break their possessions. How would you feel if you returned home and your door was destroyed.” He wants to rationalize with the magician, rather than enrage him, but he also can’t believe how quick he was to break down a door because it’s locked.

 

“He has a point.” Sora says hands behind his head. “There’s probably another exit, anyway.” The duck sighs but keeps his head level so the cricket won’t be sent falling. Jiminy gives Donald an 'i’m watching you’ gesture, then hops back to the keyblade wielder. Donald rolls his eyes as soon as the mindful cricket can’t see. He waves a fist in his direction, but sees Goofy looking and laughs unassumingly. He slowly unclenches the fist and flexes his hands underneath his bill with an innocent smile.

 

“Ahyuk! If we can’t find a way out, we can leave some extra munny and try it your way."

 

"Now–” Jiminy starts to say, displeased by Goofy’s attempt at fairness, but is interrupted by a slight shifting on the ground below them, causing Sora to almost lose balence.

 

There’s a hiss, followed by the rumble to life of speakers - a piercing screech of old equipment, worn by disuse. It rings throughout the aisles, inescapable. The heroes all cover the ears in pain. The wail continues, it’s not just coming through the market speakers, but it also echoes outside, thrumbing around them from all directions. The World screeches in agony, the ground continues to shake and the three are brought to their knees.

 

* * *

 

The scratchy pitch continues to ring for far too long, but after a deafening click it shuts off - and the hissing of the market speakers silence and the three are left kneeling on the floor with piercing headaches and ragged breathing.

 

Donald curses, too overstimulated to regulate his language in front of Sora. The whine, siren, tech feedback, whatever terrible sound it was has left his ears ringing, somehow at a higher pitch, drilling into his skull. That was wholly unpleasant. The light in the market’s gone off, and the door has been shattered open. The royal magician can’t help but chuckle, and he uses the hammer to assist himself to his feet.

 

Whimpering, Goofy is hesitant to stop covering his ears, the sound an overwhelming pitch and not something a potion can deal with. He looks at the ceiling once he finally finds the bravery to open his eyes, and then at the door - watching the fog roll into the store. The market is left in complete disarray from the earthquake. Even what’s left on the shelves looks somehow changed.

 

The water bottle which Sora had dropped in his rush to protect his ears, lies on the ground - still sealed but murky. The once electrolyte-treated water turned green, swirling with thick smogs of brown. Sora gasps, falling from his knees to his bottom in shock. “Guys?!"

 

Water drips from the shelves, they’re even sitting in puddles. But Sora, Donald, and Goofy are completely dry. Mold clings to walls, following the path of murky water falling from the ceiling edges. Goofy gulps and helps Sora to his feet. "I don’t got a good feelin’ about this, Sora.”

 

“You’re tellin’ me, Goofy. Thanks.” Sora says, and tries to squeeze out some of the dampness from his pants.

 

Donald shakes his head a few times, then carefully walks through the shattered door, moving the hammer through as well with great care. He’s greeted to more fog, and somehow an increased humidity. It’s thickness causing the duck to sweat immediately. The building next to the market has moss creeping up it’s four stories. Still, there’s no rain, but the moss is dripping like a wrung sponge. A thick twiggy sludge squelches underneath Donald’s webbed feet as he steps further out. He’s struck frozen, looking to where they’d emerged.

 

Sora follows out not long after, looking down at the unavoidable sludge, then towards the faint glow of moonlight trying to pierce the fog. He catches up to Donald, gasping in world-shattering wonderment.

 

There is no forest. A canyon, deep, black, seemingly endless; it stretches starting from the dense grove they’d emerged from. There are no trees at all. The rustling of branches replaced by the harsh cracks of the ocean on rocky mountainsides.

 

“Goofy, get away from the edge!” Donald suddenly screeches. Sora blinks, coming back to himself, not having noticed Goofy traipse ahead of them.

 

“Goofy!” Follows Sora’s shocked voice, who then takes off after him. Goofy’s paused and is staring back at him, allowing the teen to catch up, but he points worriedly over the edge.

 

“I don’t see nothin’ down there.” He states shakily. Wanting to have seen something that makes sense among all this chaos. A way to climb down to the forest and find a less sea-stained city. But there’s no trees, there’s nothing but an echoing Ocean enhanced by the heavy fog.

 

Donald grabs his friends and tugs them further away from the edge. “You can admire this nightmare from back here!” He yelps grumpily. Deciding to keep his hands firmly gripping their clothes until the knuckleheads decide to walk away from this off-putting phenomenon. “Do you idiots think I can cast Slowfall right now!!"

 

Sora shakes his head slowly, half in answer to Donald’s rhetorical question, half in utter confusion. "I don’t get it."

 

Goofy walks away from the edge, and the other two follow. Donald keeps hanging on to them for an extra moment or two. "Maybe we can find that person I saw.” He states hoping to lighten the mood that’s falling on their shoulders like the fog.

 

“You saw a person?!” Sora asks surprised.

 

“But they disappeared.” Donald points out.

 

“You saw a person who disappeared?!” Sora asks, still surprised.

 

Starting to walk down the middle wide paved road, Goofy scratches his chin and hums in thought. “At least I think I did.” He’s not entirely certain, having only caught a moving blur through the fog. But in that brief moment, it seemed as though they were sprinting towards Goofy. Then the door sealed shut– and there was absolutely no movement outside.

 

“That’s creepy,” Sora says bluntly. “But hopefully they reappeared somewhere and aren’t an Organization member or, you know, some other annoying sort of teleporter.” Goofy and Donald nod.

 

Then the radio in Sora’s pocket starts to crackle. It’s soft, fading out and in. It’s still managed to startle Sora. He pulls the machine out of his pocket and tries to flip through channels. He gets nothing but the steady crackle, the white noise harshening, building to something more steady.

 

Sora slaps the side of the radio, unaware of Goofy gasping, looking suddenly petrified, struck silent. Donald quacks in surprise, eyes widening as much as his pupils shrink. Sora turns, accompanied by loud whining static.

 

The being is no Heartless, it lacks any insignia of any kind. It’s coated with moss, glistening with muck that’s clinging to it’s grimy form. A smile stretches from one side of the lumpy mass that can only be assumed is its face. It has no eyes, no ears, and it’s nose flabby, hangs over its nostrils. It’s head tilts back, slightly upwards, with a sort of carelessness in its body language as it stumbles blindly towards the trio.

 

Sora doesn’t waste time before he tightens his grip on his fallen branch and cracks it, one-handed, over the humanoid creature’s skull. He screams while doing so, his friends do as well. The brach breaks from the force of impact, but the creature’s skull concaves in - utterly empty. It’s body sloughs in on itself, until it’s just another puddle on the road.

 

The radio falls silent.

 

Looking at each other, but unable to find a word, the Trinity Trio stands breathlessly as their brains try to process the creature that confronted them.

 

“That…” Donald says, needing to clear his throat before continuing. “That wasn’t a Heartless, or any of the other nonsense we usually face.”

 

Goofy’s hand is on his chest, trying to keep his heart from beating out of his ribcage. “Nope.” The demise of that creature just as, if not more disturbing than watching pirates turn into skeletons. His heart, his physical one, not the manifestation of his light that could power Kingdom Hearts, can’t take too much more of this stress. Goofy doesn’t often want a break, but he’s halfway convinced toward writing King Mickey a letter requesting vacation days.

 

As soon as they find their way out of this World.

 

“I gotta…” Sora says slowly, looking at the broken branch in his hand. “Find a new stick.” He swallows thickly, feeling his connection to the keyblade stronger than ever. He closes his eyes, but no matter how hard he mentally pleads, the power won’t manifest. Sora feels mocked by the remaining connection. He almost wishes he couldn’t feel it at all, but knows that would scare him all the more.

 

Taking a centering breath, Sora looks at Donald who huffs and holds the handle of the sledgehammer protectively. “Move along.” He says flatly, to which Sora snorts and tosses his broken weapon over his shoulder.

 

Goofy watches it land, and sink into the street. He blinks, finding that strange, but convincing himself it was a trick of his eyes. Shaking himself out of it, the knight grips his bark shield tighter. He was shocked at the appearance of the creature and didn’t immediately jump to Sora’s protection. He’s let himself down, in his fear. He needs to be vigilant from here on out. Starting by keeping up with Donald and Sora.

 

“Wait for me, fellers!” He calls.

 

* * *

 

Sora finds a rusty, moss-covered pipe in a dumpster not too far away. They’ve yet to encounter another Sightless, name coined by Jiminy, but the silence and lack of a mob fight only cause Donald’s feathers to stand more on end. He’s learned to handle those unending waves of foes, hoards of giant brutes fueled by darkness and hate; but wide stretches of eerie, locked buildings with no activity is something entirely different.

 

“Eugh, it’s covered in gunk.” Sora says, shaking the green-yellow moss off of his bounty. It splatters mostly onto Donald who warbles and slaps it off of him.

 

“Watch it, Sora!” He rasps warningly.

 

Goofy gets hit by some muck too, but he doesn’t move or seem bothered at all.

 

“Sorree.” Sora says a touch too sarcastically. “I feel better, with this, at least." After swinging the pipe a few times, the teen tries to open a door by the dumpster, but like every other door so far it won’t budge. Donald in silent protest refuses to demolish any doors to spite Jiminy. "I wish I could reach the Keyblade. It’s so close, I just can’t..” He looks down at his hand, and his new weapon. “If I could summon it, then we could go through these doors, I could- I could even call out to Riku somehow. Or Kairi.” Donald and Goofy look worriedly at each other.

 

“We shouldn’t be thinkin’ about the could'as, Sora.” Goofy says softly. The radio starts to hiss softly, which inspires Goofy. “I think our next move should be findin’ a radio station. Somewhere we can broadcast some sort'a signal. We can try to reach them that'a'ways.” He rests a gloved hand on his friend’s shoulder. He wants him to see hope, even though the screeching of the radio is getting louder and making it harder for Goofy to focus.

 

Sora’s other shoulder becomes suddenly coated in a thick layer of oozing sludge. He jumps what feels like feet in the air, and spins to see the Sightless’ empty eyesockets staring feet over Sora’s head, yet the teen still feels bore into. It’s whole body shifts as though it’s laughing, but no sound comes out. Moss and slime get shaken off with each movement. Sora’s shoulder feels numb. The ooze sinking into his skin, where the creatures moldy arm connects to Sora.

 

Goofy acts fast and spins his friend away from the outstretched arm of the Sightless. A raspy grunt rings over the radio static and, Donald flattens the blind creature with his sledgehammer. It’s skin concaving in and melding with the overgrowth that coated it, into nothing. Donald breathes heavily, the sound harshly clear in the silence.

 

Goofy scrapes the moss off of Sora’s shoulder. The mold like growth emerging where sludge had been deposited, hyper fast. Sora’s eyes slightly glazed over as he’s fixated by the growth. Goofy gets most of it off, and feeling returns to Sora’s arm. His skin prickles uncomfortably, and Sora hesitantly lays his other arm over the damp sleeve of his jacket. “Thanks, guys.”

 

“No problem,” Donald says with a metaphorical chip in his shoulder, head physically head high.

 

Goofy changes his gloves, thinking outloud. “I think the radio is like.. a sensor for one of those thingies.”

 

“A **Sightless**.” Jiminy pitches in.

 

“I was noticing that too,” Donald says, sounding curious.

 

Taking a deep breath, looking from his shoulder to the radio now held out in his hand Sora feels a droplet of hope radiating from within him. Not locked away, like his powers. The hero wields the radio in one hand, his pipe in the other striking a pose. "The _Sight_ less are no match for the power of our _SOUND_!"

 

A breeze rolls past the group. Then Goofy starts to laugh. "You tell 'em, Sora!" The knight says filled with pride for Sora being able to pick himself back up. His hands are tingling, from indirectly touching the moss, or nerves from the unexplainable things happening around him Goofy can't tell. A release of tension is exactly what he needs, and Sora is providing it.

 

"We should keep moving, knuckleheads," Donald says fondly, "We're bound to come across an unlocked door soon!"

 

Sora laughs, and jogs ahead of the group, running backward for a moment to teasingly say "Not with your luck, Mr. Duck."

 

"Why you little--!!" Donald quacks, scuttling after the teen. He struggles slightly from the weight of the hammer, but refuses to let go.

 

"A-hyuk!" Goofy says, following behind at his own leisurely pace. He glances behind him, to make sure the pile of goop and moss hasn't gotten up to follow them. Nothing is moving behind him, not the puddle of the monster the dumpster, or the broken hilt of Sora's stick that had sunk into the puddles--

 

"Huh?" The knight says to himself, he doesn't like that. This wasn't close to where Sora had thrown the stick in the first place. Deciding he doesn't want to think about that very hard, he quits being leisurely and runs to catch up to his friends.

 

* * *

 

The next Sightless they encounter is not much of a threat, and merely confirms their theory about the radio. The creatures themselves aren't very scary after seeing them the first few times. If anything, it's a relief from the heavy atmosphere of dripping buildings and thick fog. Fighting is a familiarity to the trio. This tension building around them almost hurts. Doors they try to break won't open. Donald eventually breaking his strike against Jiminy, the urge to destroy much stronger than his stubborn will.

 

"This place is clearly cursed," Donald whines. His hammer having bounced off of yet another door with no damage.

 

Sora grunts in agreement, hands behind his head, squinting at the sky - trying to see stars through the blanket of fog. To no avail.

 

Goofy scratches his nose. "I wonder if there's a way to undo the curse!"

 

"And how do you expect we do that?" Donald asks flatly, crossing his arms and squinting at his tall compatriot.

 

"Maybe ask the local Deity." He answers, pointing across the road to where a dark building is bearly visible. A large red, stained glass symbol resembles an ominous looking symbol. It looks like it would fit right in with the crest of the Heartless or the Nobodies.

 

The building is clearly religious in nature - and as the trio approach, they can only notice how clean the church is. After seeing so much decay of moss and pure slime, the crispness of the almost entirely black building is startling. Gothic in structure, surrounded by withered grass and weeds - it looks entirely void of moisturization.

 

"Well, uh, I bet we could start a fire there." Sora says, shrugging at Donald. The duck in question rubs his forehead because he cannot see this situation playing out well. Castles like the one in front of them are rarely inviting. Donald likes to hear Goofy's ideas out, though, the knight doesn't often lead them astray.

 

"It's worth a shot." Donald sighs as though he's holding the weight of the universe on his shoulders. A buzzing crackle bursts from the radio in and, with it, any more questioning is thrown out the window. The heroes waste no more time rushing to the entrance. Donald reaches for the handle but pulls his hand back. Afraid that his attempt to open it would yield another barred entrance. The comment about his luck ringing in his ears.

 

Almost as though sensing his distress, Sora places a hand on the magician's shoulder. He breathes out slowly, and Sora twists the door handle. It creaks open, and Goofy ultimately pushes them all inside during a brief moment of hesitation.

 

The door slams shut behind them, and the heroes are shrouded in darkness.

 

**Author's Note:**

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